Friday, November 29, 2013

Today’s
guest is sci-fi/fantasy author Karen Fainges. She’s chatting a bit about
herself and her novel, Book 1 of the Shaytonian Chronicles - Destiny Sets.

Karen has some giveaways during her tour, including: a 3 pack of e-books Shaytonian Chronicles Book 1-3; a 3-pack of paperback Shaytonian Chronicles Book 1-3 (Signed if
willing to wait for post from Australia or from Amazon if not). Use the form below to enter.

Bio:

Born
in Lismore NSW, a rev head/surfer, dairy town, Karen Fainges moved to Nimbin at
the tender age of six to learn the ups and downs of living in a hippie based
economy, and moved again to Coonabarabran - rural, wear your hat if you are
going into town, set your watch back, type of place.

She
learnt all about culture shock and is sure her desire to write a world of her
own came from all that moving around. Here was one world that followed the
rules. Except...she never was too good at following rules. And neither are her characters.

Story
telling was a part of life, whether it was reading books or sitting around a
camp fire, her happiest times were spent lifting on the clouds of words into
the worlds above. Fairies, aliens, westerns, historical, it didn't really
matter. Anything that showed the world through different eye

Welcome, Karen. Please
tell us about your current release.

Destiny Sets tells of a vampiric
slave race that escaped their masters to hide between dimensions. Together they
create a perfect being to save them all.

The
Fates have other ideas.

An
irreverant stab at old B movies where a race of women capture men to breed.

What inspired you to
write this book?

As
a child, I found that if it was too hot to play, stories kept my younger sister
and cousin interested. Later, I went on to create a way more adult version of
those tales of shapechanging, aliens.

Excerpt:

Lightning
sears a scene against the eye. Trapped between reality and death, every scrap
of life is fighting for existence. To stop fighting is to die. Some precious
moments of peace can be stolen from small pockets of calm. Life can take a
breath and wonder at the harsh beauty. But only for a moment, then struggle
resumes. And others watch. The Shayton Chronicles begins in Destiny Sets, the
story of one man. He is that drop of chaos that can spell success or failure.
Born from a vampiric race of slaves, genetically moulded to provide comfort for
their masters, he alone decides to be truly free. Irreverent humour and a
fierce need to know 'why', war within him and entire worlds are changed.
"The Stainless Steel Rat with fangs."

What exciting story
are you working on next?

I
am currently working on two books. The first is Book 4 of the Chronicles. The
second is a sequel to my humour book, Can
You Smell Burning tentatively entitled My
breeze smells like dog spit.

When did you first
consider yourself a writer?

The
first time I got paid for it which was some academic writing.

Do you write
full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than
write and how do you find time to write?

I
work for myself as a computer trainer, so some days will be all writing, some
students, some avoiding housework. I bought a donger, which is a shipping
container fitted out with air conditioning and power. It is my Mummy Mansion
and I can sneak in there and write. We also have a computer in the lounge so I
can write and still be with the family. Last but not least, there is our local
coffee shop and my trustee tablet. You know, with all these ways to write, you
think I would do it a lot more.

What would you say is
your interesting writing quirk?

I
like to run the scenes through in my mind first in full 3D-Karenvision to make
sure they work.

As a child, what did
you want to be when you grew up?

Dolphin
trainer, astronaut, professional mattress and chocolate tester, rollercoaster
engineer, circus trainer, dog whisperer, the lot really. So lucky I am a writer,
I can do all of it.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Today’s
guest is author Frances Pauli and is focused on the first book in her Princes
of the Shroud series, Shrouded.

Frances is giving away an e-copy of the book to a lucky commenter (who uses the form below) during her virtual book tour. Feel free to visit other tour stops between now and December 6th and enter for chances to win there, too!

Bio:

Frances Pauli writes speculative fiction, usually with
touches of humor or romance, which means, of course, that she has trouble
choosing sides.

She's always been a fan of things outside the
box, odd, weird or unusual, and that trend follows through to her tales which
feature aliens, fairies, and even, on occasion, an assortment of humans.

More information on her work and upcoming
releases can be found on her website.

Welcome, Frances. Please tell us about
your current release.

Shrouded kicks off a series about a race of
aliens who have made their home on the planet Shroud, a veiled world with
almost no outside contact. Their culture revolves around their dense,
protective atmosphere and the sacred crystal that they use to find and bond
with their ideal mates. When the selection process is tampered with, the
Shrouded throne and the safety of the whole planet are put in jeopardy.

What inspired you to write this book?

A discussion
on planetary science. I’m a pretty big fan of space, and of getting humans into
it as soon and as often as possible. I can’t remember where the idea of this
heavy, veiled atmosphere sprouted from, but as soon as I worked out that it was
possible, then I started to imagine the people who would make their home
underneath it, the technology they’d use, and the reasons they might choose to
remain secluded. The Shrouded spawned on their own from there, and their
stories are still unfolding along the way.

Excerpt:

“I think
they’re going to torture us and feed us to something,” Tarren hissed.

“What was
that?” Murrel asked.

Vashia
stared down the ramp. She took a step forward, and they both followed her.
“Nothing, Murrel. It’s going to be fine.” She ignored Tarren’s snort and took
another step. The girls that left ahead of them pooled in a bunch around Madame
Nerala. They fidgeted and shifted from foot to foot, but the whispers stilled.

The three
of them were last to leave the ship. Vashia led the way out into the hangar.
The ship a few bays down fired up, drowning out whatever Nerala said to them in
a roar of engines. The women moved closer, pressed up beside their newest
caretaker and waited for instructions.

The sleds
followed the floor lighting between the freighters, weaving toward their
individual destinations. Vashia took a step to the side and let Tarren and
Murrel squeeze in beside her. She leaned out around the butt of their ship and
watched the tunnel where the majority of the cargo seemed to end up. The
departing ship’s engines faded as it returned to orbit. Its absence made the
regular hangar sounds seem quiet.

“There we
go,” Madame Nerala purred. “Now, we’ll head through the atrium and get your
rooms assigned. I think you’ll find them comfortable for the short stay. Oh!”
Her hands clapped to her mouth and all fourteen bride candidates jumped in
place. She waved them to calm with one hand, but the other busily straightened
her hair. She stood taller, cast nervous glances to their right.

Vashia
followed her gaze and caught her first glimpse of the Shrouded. Two men stalked
across the hangar, and she had no doubt at all as to their race. They had to be
Shrouded. They couldn’t be anything less. Her jaw dropped open.

“What is
it?” Murrel whispered.

Before
Vashia could answer, static exploded inside her brain.

What exciting story are you working on
next?

I just
finished the zero draft of Seen,
Princes of the Shroud book two. It features the Seer character from book one
and a new race of shape-shifting aliens at war with their technology obsessed
cousins. Taking the Princes off of their safe little home world was a lot of
fun.

When did you first consider yourself a
writer?

After I
finished my first novel. I had begun many projects before that, but finishing
was something I didn’t know I could pull off. Once that happened, I knew I was
never going back.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's
your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find
time to write?

I am a stay
at home mom and I home school my two children. That being said, I write full
time in the sense that I don’t have another outside job. I write as much and as
often as possible, and always have a book in the works. That’s about as full
time as I can get around the rest of my crazy. I make time to write. That’s the
only real way to find time. And I don’t do idle. If I’m not busy with kids and
school, I’m writing nine times out of ten.

What would you say is your interesting
writing quirk?

Aside from
having a panic attack at about 35,000 words (every book, I swear) I eat a lot
of wasabi peas while writing.

As a child, what did you want to be
when you grew up?

I wanted to
be a zoologist. Actually, I wanted Marlin Perkins’ job. (Part of me still does)

Anything additional you want to share
with the readers?

A huge
thank you for being readers, for loving books and making it possible for
authors to tell stories and keep reading around as long as possible.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Today’s guest is paranormal romance
author Tori L. Ridgewood who is sharing a little about herself and her new
novel Wind and Shadow: Book
One of the Talbot Trilogy.

Bio:

After her first heartbreak, Tori
found solace in two things: reading romance novels and listening to an
after-dark radio program called Lovers and Other Strangers. Throughout the
summer and fall of 1990, the new kid in town found reading fiction and writing
her own short stories gave her a much needed creative outlet. Determined to
become a published author, Tori amassed stacks of notebooks and boxes of
filed-away stories, most only half-finished before another idea would overtake
her and demand to be written down. Then, while on parental leave with her
second baby, one story formed and refused to be packed away. Between teaching
full-time, parenting, and life in general, it would take almost seven years
before the first novel in her first trilogy would be completed. In the process,
Tori finally found her stride as a writer.

At present, on her off-time, Tori not
only enjoys reading, but also listening to an eclectic mix of music as she
walks the family dog (Skittles), attempts to turn her thumb green, or makes
needlework gifts for her friends and family members. She loves to travel,
collect, and make miniature furniture, and a good cup of tea during a
thunderstorm or a blizzard. Under it all, she is always intrigued by history,
the supernatural, vampire, and shapeshifter mythology, romance, and other
dangers.

Tori is currently working on Crystal and Wand: Book Three of The Talbot
Trilogy. She lives in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada with her husband and
two children. She is a full-time teacher at a local high school.

Welcome,
Tori. Please tell us about your current release.

Wind and Shadow is a
paranormal romance about a good witch and a malevolent vampire. Petite and
red-headed Rayvin Woods, a photographer by trade, has always been able to do
magick but has hidden her abilities from the world, trying to live a normal
life. After a series of misadventures, she is forced to return to her hometown
in northeastern Ontario, arriving at the same time that the bloodthirsty and
evil Malcolm de Sade breaks free of his prison in a collapsed mine under the
main street. His plan, after a year of being trapped underground, is to create
a trap for another witch he obsesses over, a married artist named Charlotte
Fanning Mahonen who is away on her honeymoon when he escapes. De Sade wants to
use the people of the town to create his coven in order to capture Charlotte
and kill her husband when she returns. Soon, Rayvin finds herself also a target
of de Sade’s plans, but at least she is able to fight back. She looks to
policeman Grant Michaels for help, though it’s difficult to convince him and to
ignore her growing attraction to the tall, dark, and handsome man, her former
high school crush.

Wind and Shadow: Book One of the Talbot Trilogyfollows the novella, “Mist and Midnight”, which was published as part of the Midnight Thirsts
anthology in 2011 by Melange Books and is now available as a single. The
trilogy as a whole is set in the fictional town of Talbot, Ontario, located
near the non-fiction body of water called Lake Temiskaming, close to the
Ontario-Quebec border. The protagonists of “Mist and Midnight”, Charlotte and
Pike Mahonen, appear briefly in Wind and
Shadow but will have a stronger presence and role in Book Two: Blood and Fire (due for release in February 2014) and Book Three: Crystal and Wand (due for
release in June 2014).

What
inspired you to write this book?

Much
of Wind and Shadow came from a
combination of my movie-buff tendencies, my love for the paranormal, and a
place where I lived as an adolescent.

Firstly, part of my
impetus for writing this trilogy is as a response to Twilight. I’m a big fan of
the Twilight Saga, both books and films, but at the same time, I can pick it
apart and talk about problems I see in it.
So as Wind and Shadow
developed, I began to see it as my answer to Stephenie Meyers. A kind of argument, if you will. I’m also a
huge admirer of the film “Practical Magic” and the book on which is was based,
written by Alice Hoffman. My witches are rather reflective of Sally and Gillian
Owens and their abilities. There’s a terrific Showcase series that I follow as
well, called “Lost Girl”, which involves a host of supernatural characters, and
a lot of my work in Wind and Shadow
and the rest of the trilogy was inspired by that show.

The paranormal has
always fascinated me, but I remember a turning point when I first read Stephen
King’s vampire horror novel Salem’s Lot,
around the time I was 10 or 11 years old. After reading that one and sleeping
with the lights on for a few nights, I devoured any vampire fiction or film I
could get my hands on, as well as ghost stories, sightings of creatures like
the Loch Ness Monster or Bigfoot, and alien encounters. If I had been better at
math, I might have gone into paranormal investigations rather than becoming a
teacher! But the fiction had my heart -- books like the original Dracula by Bram Stoker, Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice,
and movies such as “John Carpenter’s Vampires”, “The Lost Boys”, “Thirty Days
of Night”, “Blade”, “Underworld”, “Daybreakers” -- I can’t get enough of them.
In a lot of ways, I feel that Wind and
Shadow and the subsequent novels are my homage to my favourite vampire
writers.

Finally, the story
in Wind and Shadow came about
sometime between moving back up to northeastern Ontario with my husband, and the
birth of our second child. Coming back to one of the regions I loved as a
child, living relatively close to my favourite towns, Haileybury and Cobalt,
reminded me of an incident back then when an old abandoned mine under Cobalt
had collapsed and left a massive hole in the street, right downtown. It prompted a thorough investigation and
survey of all the abandoned mines threading underneath the town and around it,
and for the brief interval between the collapse and the fix, it was a tourist
attraction as the world’s largest pothole!
So, twenty-five-odd years after that event, I kept thinking: what if
there was more to it than that? What if the collapse wasn’t (just) due to water
seepage in an old mine? What if there was some kind of creature down there,
like a vampire? If so, how did it get down there? What is the history? Who was affected by it? I began writing notes on the idea after my
daughter was born, slowly building the story. I’m very happy with how it’s
turning out, too.

What
exciting story are you working on next?

I
am working on the third book in the trilogy, Crystal and Wand, as well as wrapping up edits on the second book, Blood and Fire.

In
Crystal and Wand, the allies of the
Light (Rayvin, Grant, Charlotte, Pike, and a few new characters I introduce in
B&F, professional vampire hunters Marcy and Siobhan) are preparing for the
final showdown with the vampire coven as it spreads its poison and threatens
the entire community of Talbot, and beyond. I would love for the third book to
be epic, but at the same time, I worry about disappointing my original vision
and my readers. Hopefully, it will be as enjoyable and satisfactory as the
first two books have been.

When did you
first consider yourself a writer?

Only
very recently, when Wind and Shadow
was actually released. I was writing very short stories as soon as I was able
to print. My mother has a clipping of a Christmas story I wrote, printed in a
local newspaper, when I was in kindergarten. And I contributed stories to
school anthologies as a youth and a teen, as well as writing regularly for the
community newspaper’s school page while I was in high school. But even while I
was getting short stories and my novella published in 2011 and 2012, I didn’t
yet consider myself a writer. That may
be due to my own issues with anxiety, low self-esteem and depression. Having my
first full novel come out was the fulfillment of a dream I’ve had since I was
eleven or twelve years old, so I think that has made the difference, but there
are still many days when I have to say it aloud in order to believe it. I am a
writer.

Do you write
full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than
write and how do you find time to write?

I
am a full-time high school teacher, so I work writing into my vacation time for
the most part, as well as intensive writing periods in the fall and the spring
(when I’m not doing all the things that a mom does). I joined NaNoWriMo
(National Novel Writing Month) in 2011, and that made a huge difference in my
ability to complete projects relatively quickly.

My
work day typically starts around 8:30, when I arrive at the school. (Note: I
used to get there at 7:30, about ten years ago when my first child was a
toddler and my husband stayed home with him during the day, and worked as a
chef in the evenings. As soon as my second child is able to get herself to
school, I will likely start my days earlier again.) When I get to the building
and have de-snowed (most of the school year is pretty cold and/or wet), I often
have a first-period class to get ready immediately. Sometimes this involves
last-minute photocopying, but during good weeks, I’ve gotten my lesson plans
ready the day before. I’ll check my work email, set up instructions on the
board, and often pull up on the projector a few interesting headlines from
io9.com or another news / media site to share with the students and discuss. My
classes run 72 minutes in length. This year, I have two in the morning, and
after lunch, one in the afternoon.

During
classes, my strategies run the gamut from straight lecture of 20-30 minutes to
all-student-centred research or writing, depending on the group of students,
the material, and the schedule. In general, though, I explain concepts, go over
instructions, engage them in determining the learning goals and success
criteria (with the overall objective being the students taking ownership of
their learning), and then I circulate to help, give feedback, and keep kids on
task.

At
lunch, I’m either playing Candycrush or reading while I’m eating. A few lunch
hours involve student meetings for extracurricular activities, like Anime Club,
the Gay-Straight Alliance, or play rehearsals (I’m supervising this year rather
than directing -- a bit of a relief). I do some prep as well, once I’ve had
some down time. I find I have to decompress a little during my spare period as
well, unless I’m covering someone else’s class or doing hall monitoring. My
prep period also helps me to keep up on planning, marking, and phone calls. The
days generally pass very quickly.

When
I get home, in past years I’ve tended to crash, though my health is improving
this year and it’s getting easier to keep going. That’s when I get to my
writing, though the most is done after the children are in bed and the house is
quiet. I’m a night owl -- I love it when there are no distractions, when the
house is cocooned and there is nothing to watch on TV, as it forces me to
redirect my focus. I will write until midnight, or later if I don’t have school
the next day. However, these intensive periods take their toll. It’s partway
through November now, and I know that once NaNoWriMo is over, I will hit a
wall. These past 20 days, I’ve averaged about 2,000 words a day in my off-time.

What would
you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I
love my ellipses! To me, that little sequence of periods is like a breath in a
piece of music, a pause in the train of thought, an extra space of time in
which one considers an idea or slows down to rephrase the words about to be spoken.
Some writers and readers supremely dislike them . . . but I find them to be an
essential part of conversation, thought, and character-narrative.

I
also love including parentheses in my writing, because that’s how I think. I
have what I like to call “Squirrel!” moments (thank you, “Up!”), in which I
have a side thought that, if it were written, would be in brackets.

As a child,
what did you want to be when you grew up?

In
the summer, when I was trying to declutter my house, I found some journals from
when I was thirteen in which I wrote that I wanted to be a published author.
But I also wanted to be a professional actor (still do!), a paranormal
investigator (still lots of time), and a meteorologist -- I had a childhood
fascination with tornadoes, hurricanes, clouds, and weather phenomenon in
general.

Anything
additional you want to share with the readers?

I’m
hoping in the near future, once the Talbot Trilogy is done, to work on an
anthology of stories or a few novels that take place in a fictional town based
on where I live. I’m interested in doing more erotica, as well as writing
completely non-erotic YA novels. With that in mind, I don’t mind sharing that I
write under a pseudonym, and will likely adopt a different name for YA fiction,
eventually. My nom-de-plume actually helps me to be more creative, and it feels
like an alternate expression of my self. For example, at home I am Mom and
Mommy; at work I am Mrs., to my parents I am my childhood nickname, and to my
husband and various friends I am another variation of that name. My pen-name is
simply a different facet of my personality, and I have found that it frees me
in a way that writing just as myself hasn’t been able to do.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Today's guest is the author of YA sci-fi dystopian novels. He is sharing some writing tips with you in "5 Musts Every Story in Your Genre Should Have."

He's also going to be giving away a $50 Amazon or BN.com gift card to a lucky commenter (who uses the form below) during his tour. If you'd like to increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit other tour stops between now and January 3, 2014, and enter there, too!

Author information:

Mark D. Diehl writes
novels about power dynamics and the way people and organizations influence each
other. He believes that obedience and conformity are becoming humanity’s most
important survival skills, and that we are thus evolving into a corporate
species.

Diehl
has: been homeless in Japan, practiced law with a major multinational firm in
Chicago, studied in Singapore, fled South Korea as a fugitive, and been
stranded in Hong Kong.

After
spending most of his youth running around with hoods and thugs, he eventually
earned his doctorate in law at the University of Iowa and did graduate work in
creative writing at the University of Chicago. He currently lives and writes in
Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

Blurb about Seventeen:

Most of the world's seventeen billion
people are unconscious, perpetually serving their employers as part of massive
brain trusts. The ecosystem has collapsed, and corporations control all of the
world's resources and governments. A bedraggled alcoholic known as the Prophet
predicts nineteen year-old waitress Eadie will lead a revolution, but how can
she prevail when hunted by a giant corporation and the Federal Angels it
directs?

Excerpt from Seventeen:

The
mist was clearing. Brian found himself standing in the street outside the bar
he had entered earlier. Half a dozen battered and bleeding men stood
surrounding him, and at least as many more lay on the gravel, seriously wounded
or out cold.

The
attack had come from somewhere in the mist, from all directions at once. His
head and torso ached and throbbed. He locked his shaking knees to keep them
from buckling. Every muscle in his body seemed to be lengthening, pouring
downward like water. His eyelids drooped.

One
of the standing men took a step toward him, fists raised. Brian tried to turn
away from him, his arm flopping behind his back like a fish.

Behind
his back! His eyes opened a little wider. He straightened and forced his arm to
function, whipping out his revolver and aiming it around at the circle of
attackers.

He
tried to pull back the hammer but too many of his knuckles were broken. He
ended up simply pointing it at the closest one, who backed away cautiously.
Once past him, Brian walked backwards, still aiming the gun as long as he could
see them. Then he turned, moving as fast as he could manage, back toward Dok’s
place.

5 Musts Every Story in Your Genre Should Have

by Mark Diehl

1.If
you’re writing a story about individuals struggling against oppression, you
need to have more than just those people and an oppressive government. We’ve
learned too much since 1948 for anyone to find a story like that realistic
anymore. Concentrated power is as dangerous as ever, but now that power is held
by multinational corporations acting THROUGH government.

2.You
need outlier characters who struggle against the collective society, but you
also have to make sure they don’t appear to be part of the norm in that
culture. Without these characters, the book would be boring and tedious, as
readers simply followed along with everyone doing what they’re told, when
they’re told to do it. If your independent characters don’t seem rare enough,
though, your readers will miss out on the feeling of stifling conformity that
will clearly be the backdrop of our corporate future.

3.Accept
that the world is running out of resources. If you have a book set in the
future where average people are still driving cars, eating food grown on farms,
and drinking clean water from the tap, your world is not believable. The
environment is being destroyed, as well. If you set your futuristic story in a
world where people can breathe the air or walk in the rain without
consequences, your world is not believable.

4.Do
not make the mistake of assuming the West is ahead of the rest of the world
because our culture gives us “freedom.” We do not have an economic advantage
because we are free. We are free because we have an economic advantage. The liberty
we have now is a lingering effect of the temporary bulge in the upper class
that resulted from the Industrial Revolution, which gave ordinary citizens more
power in society than ever before. As the world’s resources are depleted, the
middle class will disappear again. What we think of as freedom will be revealed
as fleeting economic power and will vanish along with it. The future is not one
of personal liberty for everyone around the world; it is a global society of
suffocating corporate compliance.

5.Remember
that a “more advanced” society is not necessarily one in which you would prefer
to live. The term means only that the society is better adapted to the
conditions that will be more prevalent in the future. Our descendants will face
life on a planet whose resources have been plundered; theirs will be a world
with a ruined ecosystem, toxic air and water, and extreme disparity of wealth
and power. Why would anyone think that’s not going to be awful?

This is an excerpt for Vault of Secrets, Book 2 in the Craige Ingram Mystery Series by Hawk MacKinney.

A
$20 Amazon GC will be awarded to one randomly drawn commenter. So, to be entered for a chance to win, leave a comment below. And to increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit other tour stops and leave comments there, too.

Blurb:

Vault of Secretsis a
compelling tale of intrigue, murder, deception and redemption that leads
retired Navy SEAL/part-time private investigator Craige Ingram in search of the
connection between seemingly random murders and a banking conspiracy. Working
with the local homicide investigator, who just happens to be a former Navy
buddy, Craige Ingram's attempts to protect a lonely widow and solve the case
before another person dies are only thwarted by a psychotic killer whose
motivation is based on pure pleasure. The instincts and skills Ingram and his
buddy acquired as Navy SEALS are tested to their limits.

Excerpt:

Predawn
risers were at Duke’s breakfast diner in booths and at tables. The aroma of
fried eggs, pancakes, grits, bacon and country ham filled the air. Gray caught
Craige up on Sedgewicke’s autopsy reports—chronic degenerative heart condition,
sky high cholesterol and arterial disease.

Craige’s
eyes zeroed to the big, bold word—ACONITE. “Lethal dose of aconite in Royce’s
tissues,” Craige said. “Gives the how but not the way it was slipped to
Sedgewicke.” He looked through the rest of the toxicology report. “Not very
original. Rome’s Julio-Claudian's treacherous family of brigands was in some
ways a lot more honest than most of us and far more sophisticated with aconite.
They called it wolfsbane and used it often. Wife of old Octavian Augustus, a
determined old dowager, the Empress Livia, it was rumored to be her favorite
method for eliminating rivals. She kept her supplier on call. Augustus wouldn’t
eat anything except food prepared by his own slaves. Livia wanted her son
Tiberius to succeed to the purple. She was afraid Augustus meant to be rid of
Tiberius, so she dusted her husband’s figs with the bane. People do get away
with murder and simple makes for better odds.” Craige glanced at the next page.
“This gone beyond your office?”

With
postgraduate degrees and faculty appointments in several medical universities,
Hawk MacKinney has taught graduate courses in both the United States and
Jerusalem. In addition to professional articles and texts on
chordate neuroembryology, Hawk has authored several works of fiction.

Hawk
began writing mysteries for his school newspaper. His works of fiction, historical love
stories, science fiction and mystery-thrillers are not genre-centered, but
plot-character driven, and reflect his southwest upbringing in Arkansas, Texas
and Oklahoma. Moccasin Trace, a historical novel
nominated for the prestigious Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War
Fiction and the Writers Notes Book Award, details the family bloodlines of his
serial protagonist in the Craige Ingram Mystery Series… murder and mayhem with a touch of romance.Vault of Secrets, the first book in the Ingram series, was followed
by Nymrod Resurrection, Blood and Gold, and The Lady of Corpsewood Manor. All have received national
attention. Hawk’s latest release in the Ingram series is due out this fall with
another mystery-thriller work out in 2014. The
Bleikovat Event, the first volume in The
Cairns of Sainctuarie science fiction series, was released in 2012.

"Without
question, Hawk is one of the most gifted and imaginative writers I have had the
pleasure to represent. His reading fans have something special to look forward
to in the Craige Ingram Mystery Series. Intrigue, murder, deception and
conspiracy--these are the things that take Hawk's main character, Navy
ex-SEAL/part-time private investigator Craige Ingram, from his South Carolina
ancestral home of Moccasin Hollow to the dirty backrooms of the nation's
capital and across Europe and the Middle East."

Monday, November 25, 2013

Welcome to the first day of a virtual book tour for historical romance author B.J. Scott. We're talking about her newest historical romance, Highland Homecoming (Book 3 of the Fraser Brother Trilogy.One lucky, randomly-drawn commenter will win a $50 Amazon gift card, Scottish shortbread cookies, can cooler and mouse pad
(US/Canada ONLY) during B.J.'s tour. You know what to do! Leave a comment below (and a way for BJ to get in touch with you) for a chance to win. And to increase your chances, feel free to visit other tour stops between now and December 20 and leave comments there, too!

Bio:

With
a passion for historical romance, history in general, and anything Celtic, B.J.
always has an exciting work in progress. Each story offers a blend of romance,
adventure, suspense, and, where appropriate, a dab of comic relief. Carefully
researched historical facts are woven into each manuscript, providing a
backdrop from which steamy romance, gripping plots, and vivid
characters—dashing alpha heroes and resourceful, beguiling heroines you can’t
help but admire—spring to life. A PAN member of RWA, World Romance Writers,
Celtic Hearts Romance Writers, and Savvy Authors, B.J. also writes
contemporary, paranormal, time travel, and romantic suspense.

C.S.
Lewis first captivated B. J.’s imagination in the fourth grade, and her desire
to write sprang from there. Following a career in nursing and child and youth
work, B.J. married her knight-in-shining-armor, and he whisked her away to his
castle by the sea. In reality, they share their century-old home in a small Canadian
town on the shore of Lake Erie with three dogs and a cat. When she is not
working at her childcare job, on her small business, or writing, you will find
her reading, camping, or antique hunting

Welcome, B.J. Please tell us about
your current release.

This is the
third book in a trilogy following the lives of three brothers, their dedication
to the fight for Scottish independence, and the women who impact upon their
lives and change them forever.

We meet
Alasdair Fraser in book one of the series, Highland
Legacy. The eldest of the three brothers, Alasdair is a larger than average,
outspoken warrior with a gruff demeanor, no use for women, but a strong sense
of duty to family, king and country. Despite being the oldest, he has turned
down the leadership of the clan—a duty assumed by his brother Connor.

In the
second book of the series, Highland Quest,
Alasdair and his youngest brother Bryce continue to fight with Robert the Bruce
and we get to know him a little better. His need to protect his younger brother
at all cost.

Book three
is Alasdair’s story. With both his brothers married, Alasdair continues to
fight for the cause on his own. During a break in the fighting he decides to
visit a life-long friend. The last thing he expects to find on a secluded beach
in Northern Scotland is an unconscious lass. Having no idea how she came to be
in the water and unable to turn his back on someone in need, Alasdair delays
his journey to offer aid to the mystery woman. When she awakens with no memory
of who she is or how she came to be on the beach Alasdair realizes he is in for
the battle of his life, one that pits duty against desire. The question is will
he let down the shield that guards his heart or will the secrets she remembers
and fails to disclose drive an impenetrable wedge between them?

What inspired you to write this book?

As
mentioned it is the third book in a series. When I wrote the first, I was not
100% sure I would write a series, but set the book up so I could. The response
to book one and requests for the second book helped me to make my decision. As
I wrote book two, the plot of the third book fell nicely into place and was the
logical next step.

Excerpt:

An onslaught of desire threatened to override Alasdair’s
good sense. He fought the urge to plunder Lauren’s sweet mouth with his tongue,
to lift her nightrail, to make her his own.

He broke their kiss and raised his head, knowing if he didn’t
stop himself now, he might not be able to harness the unbridled passion heating
his blood.

“Forgive me.” He forced the words out on a strangled breath.
He swept an errant wisp of hair from her brow and locked his gaze with the
wide, hazel eyes of a woman obviously shocked by his impulsive actions.

He cupped her chin, stroked her cheek with the pad of his
thumb, then brushed it across her lips. “I dinna mean tae make inappropriate
advances or tae take liberties. I—”

She pressed two fingers to his mouth to silence him. “You
have naught tae apologize for. I appreciate you staying with me, Alasdair.
After my nightmare, I canna bear tae sleep alone.”

This was the first time she’d used his name, and it sounded
as melodic as the Celtic lullabies his mother used to sing. At a loss for
words, he stared back at her and smiled, but inside, his stomach churned in
turmoil.

What to do?

He’d rather be drawn and quartered than remain on the pallet
with her lush, shapely body pressed against his side, and not sate his carnal
needs.

She’d begged him to stay, so why shouldn’t he take her? But
she also trusted him enough to seek safety in his arms. He could not betray
that trust.

What exciting story are you working on
next?

I am
currently working on another Scottish historical, but is had nothing to do with
the series. I don’t want to spoil the plot, but the title of the new manuscript
is Bedded by Her Highland Enemy and
the title is a great clue to what the book is about.

When did you first consider yourself a
writer?

I have
always loved to read and jotted down stories since I was in my teens, but the
day my first book released, is the day I considered myself a writer. Everything
prior was the steps you need to take to reach your ultimate goal.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's
your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find
time to write?

I wish I
could write full time but bills need to be paid so I work during the week as a
child care provider specializing in children with special needs. My education
background and previous careers being in Nursing and Child and Youth Work. I
also have had a small business for eight years making heat pressed items (mugs,
clocks, coasters, etc.) and doing machine embroidery. For many years I attended
local dog shows to sell my items, but of late do more private orders from
Clubs, authors etc. I also make beaded book thongs, jewelry, and key chains.
Needless to say there are never enough hours in a day.

What would you say is your interesting
writing quirk?

When I am
stuck on a chapter or faced with writer block, I run a hot bath, fill the tub
(we have the old claw foot tub) add some lavender and it is amazing how much I
can accomplish.

As a child, what did you want to be
when you grew up?

I love
animals and was always trying to help an injured bird or bringing home strays
so thought a Vet would be a good job for me. But things have a way of changing
when you get old enough to decide.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Tomorrow, Sunday, November 24, The Writer's Chatroom will have a critique chat. Would you like a crit from the entire chatroom? Then follow the guidelines EXACTLY.--------------------------SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

E-mail audrey (at) writerschatroom.com 200-300 words from your work. Paste your submission into the e-mail.Copy this list and put it at the beginning of the email, with your answers:Genre:Format (short story, novel, etc):Section: (beginning, middle, or end of piece):Name you intend to publish under:Name you use in the chatroom:-----------------------------------------Submissions that follow the guidelines will be used in the order they are received. I don't know how many we will get through, but the queue starts when the first correct submission is received.Submit polished work! Most of our chatters are aiming for publication. To get there, you have to be able to handle honest critiques. I will not allow personal attacks, but problems in the writing will be openly discussed.

If you are not in attendance, your submission will be skipped. It's a waste of everyone's time to critique something if the author isn't there to hear it.

Fiction, nonfic, essay...doesn't matter. I recommend trying to get an entire scene into 300 words. Full scenes get better crits.

Why only 300 words? More than that will scroll off the screen too quickly. People need to be able to read it, to give a good crit.

Please be on time for this chat. Crosstalk, including greetings, will be kept to a bare minimum. Make sure you have floated and enlarged your screen in chat, so you can keep up. Here we go...let's see how many of you have learned to write well and follow submission guidelines. First submission up for crits is...

Scroll down to the Java box. It may take a moment to load. Type in the name you wish to be known by, and click Login. No password needed.Please note: The chatroom is only open for regularly scheduled chats.Don't forget the topic chats on Wednesday nights, 8-10 pm EST!

Friday, November 22, 2013

Today I have a super-short interview with Christine Amsden - along with book blurbs and an excerpt from Book One. She's the author of The Cassie Scot Series that includes paranormal/urban fantasy romantic mystery novels Cassie Scot, Paranormal Detective and Secrets and Lies.

During her virtual book tour, Christine will be awarding a $50 Amazon or BN.com gift card to one randomly chosen
commenter. To be entered to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:

Award-winning
author Christine Amsden has written stories since she was eight, always with a
touch of the strange or unusual. She became a “serious” writer in 2003, after
attending a boot camp with Orson Scott Card. She finished Touch of Fate shortly
afterward, then penned The Immortality Virus, which won two awards. Expect many
more titles by this up-and-coming author.

Blurbs:

Book one
- Cassie Scot: Paranormal Detective

Cassie Scot is the ungifted daughter of powerful sorcerers, born
between worlds but belonging to neither. At 21, all she wants is to find a
place for herself, but earning a living as a private investigator in the shadow
of her family’s reputation isn’t easy. When she is pulled into a paranormal
investigation, and tempted by a powerful and handsome sorcerer, she will have
to decide where she truly belongs.

Book two
- Secrets and Lies

Cassie
Scot, still stinging from her parents’ betrayal, wants out of the magical
world. But it isn’t letting her go. Her family is falling apart and despite
everything, it looks like she may be the only one who can save them.

To complicate matters, Cassie owes Evan her life, making it difficult for her
to deny him anything he really wants. And he wants her. Sparks fly when they
team up to find two girls missing from summer camp, but long-buried secrets may
ruin their hopes for happiness.

Excerpt from book one
– Cassie Scot: Paranormal Detective:

When
we went back downstairs, I noticed a door leading to a screened-in back porch
and started to turn the handle when my hand froze on the doorknob. My whole
body stiffened, and my mouth went dry, so it took me several tries to alert
Evan to what I'd seen.

“I
found her,” I finally managed, in barely a whisper.

Nancy
Hastings, Evan's sixteen-year-old cousin, lay in a pool of her own blood, eyes
vacant and staring. Her hair had been a rich, luminous brown but was now matted
with blood. It looked as if her throat had been torn out.

“No!”
The cry tore from his throat and before I had a chance to stop him, Evan was
inside the room and leaning over the body, looking for any sign of life, and
probably destroying any trace evidence the police might have collected. But I
couldn't blame him. I would have reacted precisely the same way, if it had been
my family. As it was, I had to wipe away tears before I could get to my phone
and call the sheriff. The need for secrecy had passed.

“Sheriff's
department, this is Jane Conway.”

“Jane,
it's Cassie. You need to get out to Belinda Hewitt's house right away. There's
been a murder.” I hung up before she could ask for more details.

Slowly,
Evan rose to his feet and made his way back into the house with me. He had
smeared the blood and left footprints on the floor, but somehow none of it had
ended up on him. Or if it had, then he had some way of removing it.

“The
police are on their way,” I said, not sure if he would be upset with me for
calling. Probably not. He looked too shocked to care.

A
bit. It evolves. My youngest is in kindergarten now which gives me more time
during the day. I've used that time to take on freelance editing/mentoring jobs
to help support my writing career. That wasn't true two years ago.

Have you ever had an
imaginary friend?

No.
My imagination led more to story-telling from an early age.

Do you have any
phobias?

I'm
afraid of anything that buzzes, especially if it gets too close. I got stung by
a wasp on a canoe trip when I was a kid, miles upriver from anyplace we could
stop for help. My face swelled up like a balloon and it was probably the most
miserable afternoon of my life.

I'm listed!

Blog Tour Partner - Goddess Fish

Followers

About Me

I'm a NH native and love New England. I love writing about the region, exploring it on foot, on my bicycle, and in my car. There are so many small communities and fun and interesting people in this area, that I could be here a lifetime and not do all it is I want to do. :)

I'm a moderator at The Writer's Chatroom that hosts live chats with guest authors on Sunday nights 7-9PM EST. Join the e-mail list to get notifications of upcoming guests, then stop in and join the conversation!